New Dellhi: Minutes after Jawaharlal University Student Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar reached the campus and addressed the students after his release from Tihar Jail, his electrifying speech made at the same place where he had addressed students just a day before his arrest was viral everywhere.
Those who could not catch the speech on TV channels rushed to internet to listen to what this young student leader has to say after getting bail - and of course post their comments, quite liberally.
Made in a direct reference to Prime Minister Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha, one comment posted on WhatsApp caught the eyes read: "Funny how PM Modi spoke like a student in Parliament and a student KanhaiyaKumar spoke like a PM of any country on same day..."
The other was more sarcastic. "On a Day when PM Modi made a Speech in Parliament after ages... KanhaiyaKumar Trends Worldwide...Thc BJP, this denotes ur Failure..", the message viral on WhatsApp said.
There are some more:
"The Nation shall be thankful to ABVP, Modi and other Sanghis that they have introduced a revolutionary KanhaiyaKumar to the World...."
The other comments read, "The biggest success of Make in India is making KanhaiyaKumar the biggest hero!! Kudos Modiji, you have done it...."
One more such comments read, "Congrats Modiji... U have achieved the unexpected....By turning all the youth of india against you.... Slow claps....
And there are a huge appluase to Kanhaiya Kumar who declared on Thursday night, that what the students wanted was “freedom in India, not freedom from India.”
Addressing a huge gathering of students on the campus, soon after release from Tihar Jail, Kumar said: “It is not azadi from India, it is azadi in India [we want]... from the corrupt practices that are going on inside the country.”
Kanhaiya was all guns against the BJP's student win ABVP.
"The ABVP of JNU is more racial than its counterparts in other parts of the country", he said.
"However", he added, "We don't consider them our enemy. We treat them like opposition, which should be a case for anyone who believes in democracy", he said.
In a direct reference to his arrest, Kanhaiya said, "We do not believe the witch-hunting of our opposition parties."
Kumar also took on the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the university and its students were targeted because they took on the government through Occupy UGC movement and demanded justice for Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula.
“The attack on JNU is a planned one as they want to de-legitimise the UGC protest, and to dilute the fight for justice for Rohith Vemula,” he said, amid loud cheers.
“I come from a village, where there are magic shows. People show magic and sell rings that fulfil all wishes...We have some people like that in our country, who say black money will come back, sabka saath sabka vikas (development for all),” he said.
Kanhaiya started his one-hour long address by thanking everyone who supported him and the university during the crisis, before targeting the government, and also, sarcastically, the TV channels who broadcast doctored video.
"I thank everyone... and also "those" TV channells..." he said amid the loud appluase from the students.
""You speak against the government and they send doctored videos", he said.
Kanhiaya also spoke to the students about his time in jail.
“When I spent time in jail, I realised that the constable who was taking me for medical tests, for food, they are also people like me. They are also a part of the corrupt system. When I tried to explain to them my views, they understood what is the kind of azadi that we have been demanding.”
Kumar came to the JNU campus after meeting some leaders at the CPI office. He will also address a press conference along with the senior party leaders on Friday.